Five third-down conversions against; 281 total yards surrendered;
seven points allowed in a Week 17 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.
For the most part, it was a performance the Denver defense could be proud of.
But cornerback Champ Bailey wasn’t satisfied -– particularly with the Broncos’ lack of takeaways.
“We’ve got to play better,” Bailey said. “We played good in the second half last week, but we still didn’t get any turnovers. We’ve got to get turnovers to help our offense.”
In the Wild Card round Sunday against the visiting Pittsburgh Steelers, Bailey knows how critical protecting the ball on offense and taking it away on defense will be in deciding the outcome.
“Turnovers,” he said, “really determine who wins the game most of the time.”
Consider the 2005 season, when the Steelers edged Bailey and the Broncos 34-17 in the AFC Championship game.
The turnover department that day?
4-0 in Pittsburgh’s favor.
“You can’t expect to win a game when the turnover margin is minus four,” Bailey said. “When you play a caliber team like the Steelers, you can’t make mistakes and expect to win.”
Mistakes in the secondary tend to be magnified against the Steelers’ current group of receivers.
Mike Wallace, who Bailey called the “fastest guy in the league, period,” and Antonio Brown each posted 1,000-yard seasons, and both wideouts have the breakaway speed to score from anywhere on the field, putting sure-tackling and communication at a premium for the Denver defense.
“They’re fast. They’re some of the fastest receivers you’ll see. That’s probably the biggest challenge,” Bailey said. “That’s why you have guys like myself, Andre’ Goodman, Chris Harris — we have to hold up. We have to run with these guys. We’re not slow, either, so we can definitely do it.”
Its clear Bailey has confidence in his team’s ability to pull out a victory over the favored Steelers Sunday.
Underdog or not, the Broncos are looking to advance past the Wild Card round.
“This is the playoffs,” Bailey said. “Regardless (of what people say), we have to go out there and get it done. We got in and we have to make something happen.”
NEWS AND NOTES
Future contract signees are officially added to the roster at the beginning of the following league year.
The tickets, which are located in the upper level and cost $60 each, are being sold at all Ticketmaster outlets, via Ticketmaster Charge By Phone, through online sales at www.ticketmaster.com and at the Sports Authority Field at Mile High box office.
Fans may purchase tickets with a credit card via Ticketmaster Charge By Phone by calling 1-800-745-3000. Fans desiring to use the Internet to purchase tickets may do so at www.ticketmaster.com.
NFL games accounted for 23 of the 25 most-watched TV shows among all programming, including three Broncos games (at Green Bay, vs. New England and vs. Kansas City).
In addition, the 16 most-watched shows on cable last fall were all NFL games, including the Broncos’ season-opener on Monday Night Football.
Overall, according to The Nielson Company, the 2011 NFL regular season reached more than 200 million unique viewers.
Below are photos from Thursday’s practice.
-Max Henson
Thank you Tebow for bringing us all these disciples with their ever overflowing words of God on this Bronco football blog. Amen.
And for those who missed it, he posted it on the last three blogs, it’s like Jehova’s witnesses knocking at my door, always available to spread the good word and I usually invite them in for tea… Too bad I can’t do the same for this servant of God.
This is not good:
On StubHub, there are about 3,900 available tickets for the Bronco-Steelers game.
On Ticketexchange there are more than 5,770 for sale.
Before the Bears’ and Patriots’ games last month, there were far, far fewer tickets available for sale this close to kickoff.
Get ready for the yellow towels!
I thought we’ve had a long streak of sell outs, with a 30 year waiting list for season tickets?
Yeah, but many ticket owners rather sell their tickets and make money specially if it’s forecasted to snow, they don’t think we can win this one or they had other plans lined up. Obviously almost 10,000 ticket holders are feeling this way now.
It probably will be about 15% Steeler fans in there.
The Steelers fans are crazy nuts about their team and they travel, they even had an article in the DP with Tomlin talking about them, everywhere they play he says they are unbelievable, a huge factor for the team.
Gotcha.. If there are any season ticket holders reading this blog, I hope they don’t sell.. Give them to friends (bronco fans) if you can’t make it.. It would be embarrassing to have the Steeler fans be heard on TV…
Here is the article:
Speaking Wednesday during teleconferences with Denver media covering the Broncos, Pittsburgh coach Mike Tomlin and quarterback Ben Roethlisberger said they continue to be amazed by how many Steelers fans show up in opposing stadiums — perhaps like Sunday at Sports Authority Field at Mile High.
“It’s awesome,” Roethlisberger said. “I think it kind of blows most people away. When you’re on the road and you have guys on other teams that aren’t used to seeing that.
“All of a sudden, they see the Steelers fans come in and they’re like, ‘Holy cow. What’s going on?’ It’s a pretty neat feeling.”
Pittsburgh coach Mike Tomlin said that inspires the team.
“It’s not something that you get used to,” Tomlin said. I’m continually surprised and awed by that, particularly when we’re out west.
“We’ve got world-championship-caliber fans, and that’s why we work so hard to produce results on the field for them.”
“Particularly when we are out West”, pretty much what we are thought of, there will be a lot of Steeler fans, just like for the AFC Championship in 2005.
Well, we know there is one way to shut them up…
Lmao at the Jehovah knocking at the door.
Before I left the house today, an older couple rang our doorbell. Their English was terrible but they were representatives of a church in a nearby community called Naperville. They asked if I believed in God and if I know they bible. I responded with two yes’s. They then began preaching about the heavenly father and went on about the heavenly mother (something I’ve never heard of). I politely informed them I’m Catholic and would love to hear more. But it’s a bad time as my son was napping and I didn’t want to stand there with the door wide open. It’s cold. I thanked them for their time and God blessed them. Told them I would do some research about their church online. I smiled. And then it got weird. The gentleman started talking over me. Got loud even. It was in a word uncomfortable. I even told them I’m not trying to be rude. And he still kept talking over me. I wished them a nice day and said I’m going to close the door. He was still trying to talk.
It made me feel bad so I just told them I will say a prayer for them. Smiled again. Gently closed the door and went on with my business.
Strange encounter I tell you!
Especially when one of the first things the man noticed was my Bronco Fleece Jacket.
Tebow IS known everywhere….lol
I should have added, before I closed the door…
GO BRONCOS!!!!!!!!!!!!
LOL…………..whoa…………. that was AWKWARD…..LOL
MMMMM I got me some Orange Kool-Aid and two types of green chile………..MMMMM MMMMMMMMM.
Kind of like on this blog, LOL.
Yo Bay I’ll give you my prediction on the game later this week.
I’ll be ready, you got til midnight Saturday very latest.
Shaz, I’d also look on Craigslist. There are job postings on there. I found my current position on Craigslist.
I’m a knowledgeable and credentialed paramedic. Today is my 4th anniversary of being licensed actually, but anyway, it’s a great position and I found it pursuing all avenues. Lol. Sounds to me you’ll have no trouble finding a position.
OC! I remember you saying that last year about the towel. That was and IS such a great idea. You get credit where credit is due. Lol…
I don’t know about bringing some luck with Mr. Bowlen, but I sure hope the team carries the same type of focus and excitement, that a majority of Broncos Country feel, into this game.
sndvl travel safely. You did right! We need you as part of the twelve man and hope you enjoy your trip and time.
Go Broncos!
LMAO@Bay and sndvl about the Jehovah witness’s….persistent little boogers ain’t they?
I know them,they try to push their beliefs on the whole world,there is NO way but THEIR way!!!
Last time they came to my house I ran them off,hate to be rude,but don’t want to have it pushed down my throat,I have my own beliefs,I was raised up a Baptist.
GOD is NOT in sports,not gonna help a team beat another team,I will always believe that!
Giv’em Hell sndvl!!!
Thanks guys!!! And don’t worry BFE! I will. Question is, Will the Broncos?
I’m pretty confident they are ready and able!
Prediction
Steelers 20
Broncos 24
just out of curiosity…
Does anybody think daddybronco is glax?
they both showed up around the same time….
sndvl, you rock that house for us Bro!!
Bronc On!!!!!
ILMSDB!!!!
Just Watched the best football movie ever, Remember the Titans, those kids rose up and overcame such obstacles as to make our chances in the play-offs look the size of Tinkerbell’s dress. No one thinks Tim can lead us to the promised land, I will not be one of these fans. No one thought that Elway could win either, and yet He did, No one even wanted to take a chance on Hot Rod and as it turned out only Jerry was better.(How he was totally ignored in the HOF voting this year is perhaps the biggest mystery of 2011) but I digress The fact is WE CAN BEAT THE STEELERS AND I CAN’T SAY IT ENOUGH TIM TEBOW IS A WINNER AND WE ARE GOING TO GO FARTHER THAN ANYONE DARE HOPE GO BRONCOS…WIN IT ALL GUYS LEAVE NOTHING TO DISPUTE! GO BRONCOS!!
We only have to win 4 straight games…Well we did it before with TT and we can do it again. Yeah that’s right I’m drinking the Darned Orange Kool Aid, why aint all of us? Go Broncos!!
May Tebow be with you TC36… ;o)
You guys are great!!! I love this blg… almost as much as I love the DENVER BRONCOS!
TRB… PROPS Homie!!! Fight the good fight…
3 days till BRONCO PLAYOFFS… PUM PUM PUM… GET OUT YOUR DRUMS!!!
VON TEBOW FOOTBALL BABY… !
FTS
Crazy day… I know Bay posted this earlier, but it bears repeating… Landry Jones and Montea Ball both returning to school…
Patriots just lost their OC to Penn State… Big Ben reinjured his ankle at practice…
B-R-O-N-C-O-S BRONCOS BRONCOS BRONCOS
Win or lose thank you TRT… I will always remember The 2011 season…
Every Elite Offense in the NFL has a STUD TE…
GB – Jermicheal Finley
NO – Jeremy Graham
NE – Gronk and Hernandez
Det- Pettigrew and Scheffler
Atl- Gonzalez
etc…
Please Jeebus, if ever you have heard a Bronco Prayer, Pleaso o’ Please deliver us from the mediocrity that have been our TE’s thus far…
VON TEBOW FOOTBALL!!!
FTS
I think that Bronco Turtle is the only blogger who believes like I do…What’s wrong with you guys? So what if Tim’s a Christian what is it open war on him cause he loves God, Jeez guys and Ladies it’s about the team and like Willis Mc just said on the NFL channel “I don’t want Manning or Luck I am with number 15.” GET WITH THE PROGRAM, SORRY YOU HAVE FRACTURED YOUR LADY PARTS, WE ARE IN THE PLAYOFFS ! A RING IS JUST FOUR WINS AWAY, DAMN! BEEN A LONG TIME SINCE WE GOT THIS CLOSE SO I SAY IF YOU CAN’T BACK UP THE BRONCOS, SHUT UP, WE ARE GOING TO WIN THIS WEEK, THE CURTAIN HAS NEVER INTIMIDATED THIS CLUB AND YOU KNOW WHAT THE BRONCOS DO TO TOWELS? THEY RUN OVER THEM! GO BRONCOS BRONCOS 24 STEELERS 17 JUST WIN !
oh and the extra 7 points will be due to a pick 6 by Champ, do you think he want’s a Ring YEAH YEAH YEAH…GO DENVER!
Turtleman,we have 4TEs,so it’s not that we don’t have any,all 4 can’t be that bad,they are just not utilized,that is in the playcalling,whether it be Fox or McCoy.When we do use our TEs,99% of the time they are used as extra linemen for blocking,I don’t get it……
John McCain congradulated Clemson on their Bowl win…….you Fool,they lost 70-33………and this guy wants to be the next president?
LMAO@OC’s 10:04 post…….he hasn’t been able to post under his DaddyBronco handle,and haven’t seen him post under his dadx13 handle either…you might be onto something there bro!
I know I’m not usually up this early,but I gotta start on that damn deck,the guy didn’t show up yesterday.
Using my wife’s laptop,got a freaking virus on my pc,there was an Email saying my package from USPS wasn’t delivered,and wanted me to click onto their link,then BAM…..VIRUS….I have a great virus protector,but it got thru anyway…and I really was expecting a package,that’s how they got me to click on their link,well I got about 30 minutes to tinker with it before I go to work…Bronc’ on!!!!!!
BTW….I am starting to think we may actually have a shot against the Steelers…….IDK!!!!!!
Good Morning!
Seems as though the oranage kool aid is over-flowing again……still not sure if I’m going to take a sip of it yet.
I want to predict a broncos win………cause I hate predicting against our team………..but I’d really like to finish the season with some points and predicting a steelers win is playing the odds a little better.
Still a couple days to mull it over…………
and truecolor……….
while I’m all for freedom of religion and speech……….I don’t think this blog is the proper platform to spew quotes from the bible……..
just sayin’
Good morning all….TGIF! I am so ready for this weekend. I am usually really really apprehensive before Bronco’s games but for some reason I don’t feel like that this time. I truely want Tim to be great and I still believe that he will be so with that in mind GO BRONCOS! Also, I think I don’t feel so nervous because no one expected us to be here (not even us) and yet here we are. Win or Lose we got here and I am excited to see if we can win and I think we can. If we are one and done then so be it but I am so optimistic about next year and seeing how far our Bronco’s go its not even funny.
mornin shaztah…….
TGIF INDEED! One day closer to gameday! I’m soooo pumped to see our boys in a playoff game………..05 seems like an eternity ago!
If we’re able to score a TD, I have a feeling it’s going to be from the D. Either a pick-six or a fumble rumbled in.
I think I read that the steelers D has only let in like 3 TD’s in the last 6 games or something redonkulous like that…………With the way our O has been playing, we’ll be lucky to get into FG range.
The same fans that sell their tickets are probably the same ones that were complaining we were 1-4 and not going to do anything with the season. Now that we have they choose to sell their tickets, I’d sure love to go if I had the money! I’m sure some of them have a legitimate reason to sell their tickets, obviously for money, but not going because of the weather, that just adds to the experience of Mile High Magic. You never saw the Barrel Man complaining about a little snow!
OC, I don’t think so because DB has always been a gentleman with me, LOL.
I’m sure the spirit of barrel man will be with the broncos on sunday…….I sure do miss seeing him out there…………
Here is hoping that we have a game similar to the Vikings game in the second half
Since everyone is talking weather and I still have my links to look up some of that I give you this to ponder:
Farmers Almanac
Sunday: Chance of a few snow showers. Highs in the mid 30s and lows in the mid 20s.
WeatherChannel.com:
Day
Snow Shower High 34°F
Precip 50%
Wind: From NNW at 12 mph
Humidity: 64%
UV Index: 2 Low
Sunrise: 7:21 AM MT
Avg. High: 48°F
Record High: 74°F (2003)
Night
Overnight Low 24°F
Clear
Precip 0%
Wind: From SW at 6 mph
Humidity: 59%
Sunset: 4:52 PM MT
Avg. Low: 16°F
Record Low: -7°F (2010)
As best I can find look for .10 or less in precip. and around .6 in snow Sunday in Denver.
Good wake up call to the new playoff rules in OT by Klis:
The Broncos have played three overtime games this year and won them all on Matt Prater field goals.
The Denver Post would be remiss, then, if it didn’t point out the fairly new NFL overtime rules that will be in effect when the Broncos meet the Pittsburgh Steelers in a first-round AFC playoff game Sunday at Sports Authority Field at Mile High.
Specifically worth noting is a Prater field goal in overtime might not be enough for the Broncos if he converts off the first possession. Say it’s tied, 17-17 after regulation. The Broncos win the overtime coin flip, take the ball, and their drive finishes in a Prater field goal.
In that instance, the game would not end. Prater would have to kick off to the Steelers, who would have one drive to either match Prater’s field goal, or score a touchdown to win it.
This overtime rule went into effect last season. You never know Broncos fans when such information will be needed.
This is as much complaint as you’ll ever hear from Tebow about the play calling:
Tebow almost never says a discouraging word, but when he was asked this week about the short passing game, he basically said what his fans have been saying.
“We are obviously pretty effective in the running game, and then we try to hit some play-actions over the top,” he said. “So I think getting some quick, easy passes could be good. I think it depends what offense you’re running. For us, not necessarily have we done a lot of that, but we have some of it.”
Enough of it?
“I think it depends on the game plan,” he said. “Some games we haven’t really been doing that, but others we’ve hit it a few times.”
This just posted by DP:
Posted January 5, 2012, 10:13 pm MT
Forget Broncos drafting a QB in first round
By Mike Klis
That does it. Landry Jones going back to Oklahoma for his senior season all but eliminates the Broncos from taking a quarterback in the first round.
With Jones and USC’s Matt Barkley spurning the 2012 NFL Draft, there are only two legit first-round quarterbacks _ Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III. Somehow, Luck is not overhyped. He’s very much hyped. But he deserves all of it. He not only should be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2012 Draft, he’d have been No. 1 overall in 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007 … He’s better than Peyton Manning was when Manning entered the draft in 1998.
I love Griffin III. He’s not a sure thing because of the offense he played in college. He plays the offense that Tim Tebow and Vince Young played in college. That spread, read-option offense is not an easy transition to the NFL. Ask Tebow and Young. But Griffin III is great. He’s not quite Cam Newton great in a physical sense, but he’s close.
Griffin III goes somewhere in the top 10. The Broncos are picking no higher than No. 21. Luck and Griffin III are long gone by the time the Broncos pick at No. 21. And the Broncos don’t have the ammunition to move that far up.
All the other quarterbacks available in the upcoming draft? They’re reaches at No. 21. The Broncos like Texas A&M’s Ryan Tannehill, Oklahoma State’s Brandon Weeden, Arizona’s Nick Foles, Arizona State’s Brock Osweiler and Arkansas’ Tyler Wilson (if he bypasses his redshirt senior season) but more as second-round picks. They love Boise State’s Kellen Moore somewhere in the middle rounds.
But first round? The Broncos will take a cornerback, or a defensive tackle, or a linebacker or a running back. They won’t take a quarterback. The Broncos’ backup quarterback to Tim Tebow in 2012 most likely is currently an NFL free agent. But it won’t be Kyle Orton.
But of course McCoy is quick to counter that, btw this is all from Krieger:
From a coaching point of view, here’s the problem: When opponents pack the box against the run and play bump coverage on the outside, getting receivers open on quick, short routes is hard to do.
“We’re trying to do whatever it takes to win,” offensive coordinator Mike McCoy said Thursday. “We did a great job running the football this year. We set a franchise record for running the football, the yards we had. When you average 4.8 yards a carry, we have a strong belief that we’re going to average that, if not more, on a day-to-day basis. But we’re just trying to win football games.”
McCoy doesn’t necessarily agree that establishing a short passing game early will pay off with big plays later.
“Go back to the Buffalo game,” he said. “He (Tebow) started the game out 6-of-8. And then we didn’t have as much success from there. So it’s the flow of the game. We’re going to do whatever we think is the best plan against a certain opponent. Sometimes those may not be quick passes.”
The organization is well aware it will need more than 60 yards passing if the Broncos hope to upset the Steelers on Sunday.
“We’ve got to get Tim back in a groove and start working him to where he’s completing some passes and they’re not just lining their linebackers up at 2 yards and their safeties at 10 yards and playing man press coverage,” general manager Brian Xanders said.
So fans want to know: Where are the slants, the swing passes, the screens, the quick-hitters to tight ends?
“Everybody’s mush-rushing us because of Tim’s ability to scramble,” coach John Fox said. “They’re not really rushing. Really, the screen pass and the draw play are typically for a very aggressive, penetrating, up-the-field style of defense, and because of the style of run game we have, we’re not getting that.”
Something Carnage and others have been talking about here at length.
And here is the opinion that should count for most, the opinion of another QB, even if it’s Brian Griese, LOL:
“I don’t agree that the play calling was too conservative,” he said of Sunday’s 7-3 loss to the Chiefs. “We talked at halftime about coming out and throwing the ball, play-action, specifically on first down, and Mike McCoy did that on three successive downs in the third quarter, called those passes. And the thing that happened was Tim Tebow didn’t feel comfortable letting that ball fly and brought the football down and either took a sack or got a minimal gain.
“So, the plays were called and Tim, for whatever reason, whether it was confidence, whether he wasn’t able to see well enough, or whether he just got nervous, I’m not sure what it was, but he did not look like the same player that he was during the six-game winning streak.”
Combination of Tebow and play calling for sure, depending on who you’re talking to, but I’m definitely in the Carnage camp, the bigger share falls onto Tebow’s laps.